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2013-2014 Master in
Petroleum Engineering and Operations

Well Unloading Technologies and

Selection Criteria
Author: Agozie Amadi Prince

San Donato Milanese 13-14-15 October 2014

Master in Petr.Engineering & Operations 2013-2014
Stage Subject
Well Unloading Technologies and Selection
Criteria

Author Company Tutors

Agozie Amadi Prince Elisa di Biase
Salvatore Privitera

University Tutor
Division eni S.p.A.
Upstream & Technical Services Prof. Francesca Verga
Dept. TEOP

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 List of Content
Stage Subject
Well Unloading Technologies and Selection
Criteria

Project Scope
Theoretical concepts
Well Unloading Technologies description
Well Unloading Selection Criteria
Conclusions

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 Project Scope
Technical Motivation
Manage the liquid accumulation (water and/or condensate) in
order to ensure the gas production
Current technology status
Industry is using different methods in order to mitigate
the liquid loading effects (i.e. foamer, velocity string,
wellhead compressor, plunger)

Main activities for the scope

Physical mechanisms literature review
Technologies evaluation and comparison
Selection guidelines

Industrial Impact and Expected Benefits

Ensure the gas production and extend the life of wells
affected by liquid accumulation

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 List of Content
Stage Subject
Well Unloading Technologies and Selection
Criteria

Project Scope
Theoretical concepts
Well Unloading Technologies description
Well Unloading Selection Criteria
Conclusions

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 Theoretical concepts
What is liquid loading
A well is suffering from liquid loading when its gas production rate has fallen
sharply off its intended decline curve and remains there due to the
accumulation of water or condensate at bottom of the wellbore

Drawbacks

Early well abandonment

Production decrease Unexpected mechanical
stress (slug flow)
Revenue falling
Corrosion
Cost rising

ITALY TOTAL RECOVERED PRODUCTION ~ 500 kSm3/day (3.2 kboed, 100 k/d)

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 Theoretical concepts
Identification of liquid loading

Water sources Condensate sources

Associated Water Retrograde condensation
Water Produced from Another Zone
Aquifer water
Casing leak
Water coning

Critical velocity
Theoretical models Well performance analysis
How to identify Production parameters analysis
liquid loading Monitoring actions Well history review
P/T surveys
Diagnostic actions Surface / Downhole sampling
Other investigations (i.e. Logs)

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 List of Content
Stage Subject
Well Unloading Technologies and Selection
Criteria

Project Scope
Theoretical concepts
Well Unloading Technologies description
Well Unloading Selection Criteria
Conclusions

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 Well Unloading Technologies description

Gas wells Unloading techniques

Worldwide
Techniques applied by eni

Intermittent production Cycles of re-pressurizations

Gas lift Reducing liquid density

Reducing surface tension between gas &

Foamer Applications
liquid, and also the liquid density

Velocity String Increasing gas velocity by reducing the

tubing flowing section

Increasing gas velocity by reducing

Wellhead Compression wellhead pressure

Plunger lift
Artificially Liquid Lifting
Downhole pumps (rod, PCP, ESP)

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 Well Unloading Technologies description
Foamer applications
Foam preferentially adsorbs at the interface, lowering the surface tension between
fluids (liquid and gas) and liquid density

Vg = 1.92

1
4
( L g )
1
4

g2
1 + foamer

Turner equation

PROS CONS
Cheap to apply Surfactant used may cause emulsion
Tolerance of particulates problems
Versatile for different completions Wells with higher condensate may
and environments not foam well.

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 Well Unloading Technologies description
Foamer selection & treatments
Foamer selection Injection treatments
Fluid compositions Dropping soap sticks down the tubing
WCR Batch treatments
Specific gravity Continuous Injection via Capillary String
Continuous Injection via Production annulus
Reservoir conditions (P&T)
Combined treatments

Lab tests
Reactivity (height of foam)
Foam Stability (Half-time)
Compatibility with fluids
Compatibility with treating equipment
Foam breaker (Defoamer selection) Batch injection

Capillary injection

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 Well Unloading Technologies description
Velocity string
Velocity string can be defined as the installation of a wellbore tubular (usually from 1
to 3-1/2 in diameter) to modify the hydraulic characterization of an existing
completion tubing
Evaluation of the best tubing
size by Well Performance
Analysis in order to:
2 7/8 OD 1 11/16 OD
Loading, low frictions No Loading, high Maximize velocity (v > vT)
frictions
Minimize pressure losses

OPTIMUM SOLUTION
2 3/8 OD
No Loading, low frictions
CT velocity string
Through tbg. installation
Tubing replacement
PROS CONS
Higher velocities for a given rate Requires special tools
Medium-long term solution High costs
Good in tight gas reservoir Further loading will be more severe than original
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 Well Unloading Technologies description
Wellhead Compressor
Used to lower the wellhead pressure to increase gas velocity, even lower
than flowline back pressure
PROS CONS
Surface modifications needed
Reduction of the THP and BHP (drawdown
Maximum liquid production to be tolerated
increase)
Not compatible with solid production and
Increasing & stabilization of production
corrosive fluids
rate
Not suggested for low productivity wells
Wide operating range

Sensitivities on
WHP reduction to define

WHC characteristics (type, size)

Energy needed
Surface modifications

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 L U B R I CA T O R E L E CT R O N IC
C O N TR O LLE R
F L O W T EE
W / O -RI NG
M O T O R IZ ED

Well Unloading Technologies description

B YP A S S VA L VE
BL EED VA L VE
VAL VE

E X T E R N AL
C A TC H E R C A B LE
W /A R R IV A L
M AS T E R SE N S O R
VA L VE

Plunger lift PL U N G ER

B U M P ER SP R IN G

T U B I N G ST O P

Plunger lift system is an intermittent lift method that uses only the
energy of the reservoir to produce the liquids.
L U B R I CA T O R

F L O W T EE
E L E CT R O N IC
C O N TR OLLE R
PROS
W / O -RI NG

It is a rig-less operation
M O T O R IZ ED
B YP A S S VA L VE
B L E ED V A L VE
VA L VE
Cheap to apply & maintain
EX T ER N AL
Requires no outside energy source
C A TC H E R C A B LE
W /A R R IV A L
M A ST ER SE N S O R
VA L VE

CONS
Not efficient in solid production wells
PL U N G ER
Limited by GLR, cannot work in low GLR
B U MP ER SP R IN G wells
T U B IN G ST O P Not efficient in highly deviated and
horizontal well

Conventional Continuous

or

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 Well Unloading Technologies description
Foamers application Case histories (water)

Benefit duration = 1 yr

PRE POST
Batch injection
Gas rate (kSm3/d) 5 15
Liq rate (m3/d) 0.1 0.4

Cost ~ 80 k
Total Income ~ 1000 k
POT = 1 month

Benefit duration = 2.5 yrs

OD PRE POST
Capillary
Gas rate (kSm3/d) 0 25
injection
Liq rate (m3/d) 0 0.6

Cost ~ 250 k
Total Income ~ 6000 k
POT = 1 month

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 Well Unloading Technologies description
Wellhead Compressor Case Histories (water)
10 installations in Italy since 2013 Benefit duration = 1.5 yr (on going)
Well A PRE POST

Gas rate (kSm3/d) 5* 18

Liq rate (m3/d) 0.8 1.5
* Cyclic production

Cost ~ 300 k
Total Income (till now) ~ 1600 k
POT = 2.5 month

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 L U B R ICA T O R E L E CT R O N IC
C O N TR O LL E R
F L O W T EE
W /O -RI NG
M O T O R IZ ED
B YP A S S VA L VE
B L E ED VA L VE
VA L VE

Well Unloading Technologies description M A ST ER

VA L VE
C A TC HE R
W /A R R IV A L
SE N S OR
EX T ER N AL
C A B LE

Plunger lift case histories (condensates)

PL U N GE R

B U MP ER SP R IN G

T U B IN G ST O P

Well A
Plunger lift Installed Benefit duration = 1 yr

PRE POST
Gas rate (kSm3/d) 1 2.5
Liq rate (m3/d) 4 6

Cost ~ 75 k
Total Income ~ 390 k
POT = 2 months

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 List of Content
Stage Subject
Well Unloading Technologies and Selection
Criteria

Project Scope
Theoretical concepts
Well Unloading Technologies description
Well Unloading Selection Criteria
Conclusions

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 Well Unloading selection criteria

Constraints
HSE
Logistic issues
Authorizations
FINAL
Economic SELECTION
Evaluation
Technical CAPEX, OPEX
Income, POT, ROI

Evaluation

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 Well Unloading selection criteria
Technical evaluation matrix
Wellhead Foamer
Velocity String Plunger Lift Foamer Batch
Compression via Capillary

Deviation < 3/100ft

Technical constaints
No solid production
Uniform Tubing size
Gas rate < 700-875kScf/d
No solid production Deviation < 12/100ft GLR range: 1000-8000 scf/bbl
No corrosive fluids Liquid rate < 20 bbl/d
Actual tubing > 2 3/8" OD
Gas rate < 350kScf/d
(without surface
GLR range: 1000-8000 scf/bbl Liquid rate range: 5-100 bbl/d
GLR 400 Scf/bbl/1000ft Liquid rate range: 5-100 bbl/d No corrosive fluids
modifications)
Liquid rate < 350bbl/d
No corrosive fluids
No corrosive fluids

Only Water 2 1 2 1 2

Liquid type Only Condensate 2 2 2 0 0

Water +
Condensate
2 1 2 1 1
High Reservoir
Pressure
4 1 2 2 3
Low Reservoir
Pressure
0 3 4 2 3
Reservoir
Parameters
Low Permeability 3 1 1 1 1
Ranking High Reservoir
temperature
2 1 2 1 1
factors
Deep well (>
10,000 ft)
3 3 3 1 2

Large Tubing 4 2 3 1 2
Well/Completion
Parameters
Small Tubing 0 2 4 2 3
Restrictions in
tubing
2 1 3 2 3

3 1 1 4 2
Maintenance
Management frequency
sporadic continuous continuous none regular

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 Well Unloading selection criteria
Economic evaluation table
POT (months) Income (k) ROI
Typical Benefit Delta prod
Cost, k duration, Delta prod 15 Delta prod Delta prod Delta prod Delta prod
months 5 kSm3/d kSm3/d 5 kSm3/d 15 kSm3/d 5 kSm3/d 15 kSm3/d

Batch 80 6 3.1 1.0 153 459 1.9 5.7

Capillary String 250 36 9.8 3.3 918 2754 3.7 11.0

Plunger 100 24 3.9 1.3 612 1836 6.1 18.4

WHC 300 48 11.8 3.9 1224 3672 4.1 12.2

Velocity string not included; cost varies depending on the installation operation

Cost = average CAPEX + OPEX for Italy

* Gas price assumed equal to 0.17 /Sm3

Low cost Short-term benefit

Approach

High cost Long-term benefit

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 List of Content
Stage Subject
Well Unloading Technologies and Selection
Criteria

Project Scope
Theoretical concepts
Well Unloading Technologies description
Well Unloading Selection Criteria
Conclusions

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 Conclusions

Nowadays, gas well loading impact

is becoming more and more
important when dealing with
mature & depleted gas fields

HSE and Logistics constraints have to be always taken into account

during the selection process

A proper understanding of the liquid accumulation problem and its

impact is fundamental to design the most suitable unloading
technique

The most suitable unloading technique to be applied must be

chosen after proper technical and economic evaluations
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 Acknowledgements

I would thank eni for permission to present this work

and related results and TEOP colleagues for the
technical support and needed assistance.

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a

QUESTIONS?

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